This invention relates to vehicle windows, and relates more particularly to window assemblies that are particularly well suited for use in, but not limited to, buses and similar vehicles, typically having a row of such windows extending along the side of the vehicle beside a row of passenger seats inside the vehicle.
It has been customary in the past to mount glass window panes in frames that surround the panes and secure them in place in longitudinally spaced openings in the sidewall of the vehicle, sometimes with single, fixed panes and at other times with separated portions of the window movably mounted to permit opening of the window for ventilation. It also has been conventional to include in such window assemblies special egress frames that permit opening of the entire window for emergency escape from the vehicle.
Other features that are desirable in such window assemblies include the provision of dual-pane windows for thermal and sound insulation, which has been achieved in a well known manner, and the provision of so-called xe2x80x9cflush mountxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cframelessxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9call-glassxe2x80x9d windows, for a modern, streamlined appearance and perhaps improved aerodynamics in the vehicle. One example of an attempt to convert an older looking vehicle to a more modern look through refurbishing, including window modification, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,190. Vehicle and window manufacturers have adopted more sophisticated approaches to this objective, but do not yet seem to have achieved the optimum design for such window assemblies.
The present invention resides in an improved vehicle window assembly that is apparently frameless so as to be capable of providing an attractive, streamlined all-glass appearance in buses and the like in a novel manner, while mounting the windows securely in the vehicle sidewall, either as a fixed window or as a hinged xe2x80x9cegressxe2x80x9d window and either as a single-pane or a dual-pane construction. For these purposes, the preferred embodiment of the window assembly comprises a backframe adapted to be set in the vehicle sidewall and defining a window opening, an outside glass pane that is larger than the window opening so as to overhang and cover the backframe around the window opening, and a concealed glass frame smaller than the glass pane and the window opening, the frame being attached to the inner side of the pane, herein by adhesive bonding, and secured to the backframe to hold the pane in place.
For emergency egress, the glass pane is secured to the backframe by means of an egress frame that is interposed between the glass frame and the backframe and movably mounted on the latter, preferably by a concealed hinge, so as to permit emergency opening of the window. The preferred hinge extends along the top edge of the window pane and is formed by hinge elements incorporated in the top edge of the backframe and the top of the egress frame close to the top edge of the window pane and forming a horizontal axis for the window pane along its upper edge.
When a dual-pane insulated construction is desired, an inner insulating pane (which may be a laminated assembly) is spaced inwardly from the outside glass pane and mounted directly on it by a spacer that is adhesively secured to the panes and seals the insulating space between the panes. The preferred glass frame has a special Z-shaped cross-section which provides mounting elements for the window pane, and also covers the interior edges of the glass in the alternative embodiment. A support gasket is disposed in the glass frame around the edges of the insulating glass to prevent excess displacement in use.
Typically, the outside window pane of such an assembly will be tempered transparent glass for safety, and will be tinted to reduce glare and U.V. transmission. Preferably the overhanging border of the window pane will be fritted, printed with a masking pattern or shading, or otherwise treated to reduce transparency and mask the frame components that it covers.
It is to be noted that the special configuration of the insulated glass embodiment of the present invention, while being well suited for use in combination with the apparently frameless outside window pane of the single-pane embodiment of the invention, also has separate utility in other environments. Accordingly, this subcombination is an independent feature of the invention.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the detailed description, including the details of construction and mounting of the glass frame, the egress frame and the hinge, the insulated glass assembly, and the manner of mounting of the outside glass pane on the glass frame.